Food is essential to our survival & it is a constant in our lives. Therefore, through the history of food we can explore the history & evolution of humankind. 

Through food’s perspective, we can discuss politics, linguistics, sociology, anthropology, economy, arts, technology & more. 

This interactive four-lesson course deals with Italian history & culture, using the lens of food studies.

Italian cuisine is well renowned & appreciated worldwide. We all know how much Italians love talking about food & how they often express their patriotism through their local cuisine.

During the course we will try to understand why this is the case, while demystifying some common stereotypes and clichés.

SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 20 & 27, 2021

from 10:00 am to noon (PST)

ON ZOOM - IN ITALIAN

Course fee: $80/3 ep. (10% discount for Dante Italian Language School students)

We recommend an Intermediate Italian level.

TO REGISTER & E-TRANSFER: info@dantesocietybc.ca 

SUMMARY of the 4 meetings:

1. A matter of method. Why is food considered culture? Can we talk about true and false ideas when dealing with food? How do you invent traditions? In the first lesson, we will answer these and other questions. MARCH 6TH - CLOSED

2. A brief history of Italian Cuisine. The idea of Italian cuisine as we know it today is quite recent. In this lesson, we will highlight the recurring traits of Italian cuisine from the Middle Age to modern times. We will also discuss how the concept of Italian regional cuisine as we know it today was born.

3. Pasta al pomodoro, the unexpected history of a symbol. Pasta with tomato sauce is considered by far the typical Italian dish, but when did it started appearing on Italian tables? What is the history of its ingredients?

4. Food in the arts. Considered by many a trivial subject, food has actually been an artistic subject since the dawn of time. In this lesson, we will travel through art history spanning from ancient Rome to Caravaggio, from Carracci to Arcimboldo, exploring the role and the evolution of food in the arts.

Benedetta Diamanti, originally from the region Marche, currently lives in Montreal, where she works for a non-profit. For the last four years she has also been teaching Italian with a focus on cultural subjects. She earned a Master’s in Italian Studies at the University of Bologna & a Master’s in Food Culture and Communication at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, in Pollenzo, Italy. In her free time, you can find her reading a book, cooking, biking around the city, or writing an episode for her podcast Sentieri di libri, where she talks about books.